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Abstract:

The aim of this paper was to test the hypothesis that when the 2 species of Acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis and Acanthocephalus clavula are found concurrently within the intestine of brown trout under field conditions, they have the potential to interact negatively. Evidence has shown that Acanthocephala are more likely to exhibit negative interactions with their own and other species, under both field and experimental conditions. Furthermore, the likelihood of these interactions is increased in Ireland because of the absence of certain definitive hosts and the fact that concurrent infections by two or more species of Acanthocephala are more commonly observed in fish. Data collected from wild and stocked brown trout and from 2 lakes provided an opportunity to compare the 2 potentially interacting helminth species in their fundamental and realized niche and several pieces of convincing evidence are provided here to support the hypothesis. A significant negative association between the numbers of each species found in individual fish was reported and this was consistent for both wild and stocked trout. Furthermore, an analysis of the proportions of low, moderate and high intensity infections in single and concurrent infections revealed a significant reduction in increasing intensities in concurrent infections compared to single infections. Finally, strikingly different patterns of niche inhabitation were observed, particularly for P. laevis in the presence of A. clavula in wild trout. Results from the niche width analysis also support the observations on average position in single and concurrent infections. The niche width of P. laevis when it co-occurred with A. clavula decreased markedly in high intensity infections compared to low intensity infections.